Automatic draft-regulator for hot-water heating systems.



, E. BERGE. AUTOMATIC DRAFT REGULATOR FOR HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEMS. APPL IOATION FILED 423,-. 10, 1908.

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E. BER'GE. v AUTOMATIC DRAFT REGULATOR FOR HOT WATER HEATING SYSTEMS. APPLICATION FILED APR. 10, 1908.

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.UNiTED STATES-"1m :r OFFICE.

ERICK BERGE, or MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA,

AUTOMATIC DRAFT-REGULATOR FOR HOT-WATER HEATING SYSTEMS.

To all whom it may concern: Y

Be it knownthat I, ERICK BERGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, .have invented certain-new and.

devices and combinationsof devices herein after described anddefined in the claim.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views. 1

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view chiefly in side elevation, but with some parts sectioned and some parts broken away, illustrating my improved draft regulator applied to a hot water heating system. Fig.2 is a side elevation, showing on a larger scale than in Fig. 1 my improved regulator applied to the expansion tank of a hot water heating system; and Fig. 3 is a plan view of the parts shown in Fig. 2.

Of the parts of the hotwater heating system, the numeral 1 indicates the'boiler, the

numeral 2 the radiator, the numeral 3 the expansion tank, and the numeral 4 the circulating pipes, all of which may be of the usual or any suitable construction. The boiler 1 is provided with the usual draft regulating damper or door 5, which, as shown, has a weighted arm 6 that normally tends to hold the same closed. 7

In accordance with my invention, 'Iprovide within the expansion tank?) an arm 7, which, at its free end, carries a float, preferably in the form of ahollow metal ball 8. This arm 7 is secured to a shaft 9 that is pivotally mounted a hollow bearing 10 secured to one side of the tank 3. The shaft 9 projects through a suitable stuffing box or other tight joint in one side of thebearing 10, and its extended end is journaled'in a bearing 11 alsosecured to thetank 3. At

its extreme outer end the shaft 9 is rigidly secured to the intermediate portion of a lever a. or two-endedarm 12, upon one end of which Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed. April 10, 1908. Serial No. 426,255.

' Patented Dec. 1, 1908.

I lever la counter-balancing weight 18 is adjustably hung. This weight 13 should be so set that it will partly, but not entirely, supportthe weight of the float 8, but will leave the said float free to float upon the surface of the water Z contained in the expansion tank. The other end of the lever 12 is adapted to alternately engage with the projecting ends of spring-pressed valve stems 14 and 15, the former of which extends upward therefrominto a valve casing 16, and the latter of which projects downward therefrom into a. valve casing 17, both of which valve casings, as shown, are rigidly secured to one side of the expansion tank. The valvestem 14, at its upper end, is provided with. a check valve 18 that normally closesa passage formed in the central parti- .tionof the casing 16; and likewise, the valve stem 15 is provided in its lower end with a check valve 19 that normally closes a passage inm'the central partition of the valve casper casing 16 toa suitable point of discharge.

The upper compartments of the two casings 16 and 17 are connected by a pipe 22 and this pipe 22 is connected by a pipe 23, to the upper portion of a cylinder 24, shown as rigidly secured to one end of the expansion tank. Working in the cylinder 24 is a piston 25, the stem 26 ofwhich works upward through the upper end of said cylinder and is connected by a cable or other flexible connection 27 to the weighted arm 6 of the draft controlling damper 5. Thiscable 27, as shown, runs over guide sheaves 28 and 29 mounted on suitable supports (not shown).

Operation. The operation of the improved regulator abovedescribed is substantially' as follows It is a well known fact that when the water in the heating system is heated; to a relatively high degree it will expa-nd and raise the altitude of the water in in said expansion tank. When the altitude ofthe water in the expansion tank is lowered, by the cooling of the water in the heating system, the float 8 will lower and will cause the lever 12 to engage the valve stem 15 and press the valve 19 into an open position, thereby permitting water to flow from the supply pipe 20 through the casing 17 and pipes 22 and 23 into the upper end of the cylinder 24. The water thus admitted into the upper end of the said cylinder, under pressure, will force downward the piston and, through the cable 27, will open the draft controlling damper 5 and thereby cause increased combustion in the fire box of the boiler. This increased combustion in the fire box will raise the temperature of the Water, and the resulting expansion thereof will raise the altitude of the water in the expansion tank and cause the float 8 to rise. This movement of the float will cause the lever 12 to press against the valve stem 1 1 and raise the valve 18 into an open position, while the lower check valve 19 will, of course, be closed by the tension of its spring. When the supply of water under pressure to the cylinder 24 is thus cut off and the valve 18 is opened, the force of the weighted arm 6 will move the piston 25 upward to its normal position, thereby exhausting the water from the upper end of the cylinder, through the pipes 23 and 22, the casing 16 and exhaust pipe 21. In this way the draft controlling damper 5 is automatically opened and closed at the proper times to maintain the desired temperature.

The cylinder 2 1 and piston 25 constitute broadly what may be designated as a reciprocating water motor, the movable member of which is adapted to be reciprocated by a supply of water controlled by the reversely acting admission and exhaust valves.

lVhat I claim is:

The combination with a hot water heating system, having an expansion tank and a draft controlling damper, of a draft regulating device comprising a cylinder and piston, a connection between said cylinder and said damper for opening and closing the latter, water supply and exhaust pipes connected to said cylinder, normally closed valves in said supply and exhaust pipes, a float subject to the water in said expansion tank, and an arm atthe exterior of said tank connected to said float and arranged to open said valves in alternate order under up 'ard and downward movements of said float, substantially as dcscribed.

l n testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ERICK BERGE.

\Vitnesses MALiE Honn, H. D. KILsonE. 

